here is a pic

 

The E63 handles fine for what it is, a midsized luxury sedan with bigger tires, brakes, and upgraded suspension. Were you expecting it to handle like a sports car

If your friend's priority is handling, try the M5 though it is not as luxurious as the E55. Each car has its pluses and minuses.

 

I actually slide the car sideways through an onramp this afternoon (hit a bump on the curve and the tail moved out), felt a little scary doing that but the car always pointed in the right direction until the ramp straightened up

 

I'm not sure I agree. The E63 I drove had the closest thing to BMW-grade steering feel I've ever sampled on a Mercedes sedan. I grant you, though, that it won't run through a slalom with an M3. That big, hand-built engine up front makes it somewhat nose-heavy.

 

That's like sayng the 2IS has the best handling among all Lexus models besides the F... not saying much (Although with some mods the 2IS can be an impressive performer ). The E63 I drove has ultra numb and light steering, to me that's a big no-no on a performance-oriented car especially one that's carrying the AMG badge. If you think the E63 is the closest thing to BMW-like steering feel from the MB sedans then you should try the new C63 AMG. Although not as crisp as the E46 M3 (haven't tried the E92 yet) but much better than the E63.

 

I haven't tried a C63 recently........do you want a review? I'll add it to the list.

 

Sure, I'd like to see what you think about that car. I was very impressed by it before the test drive and now I am "just impressed" by it...

 

Wow, I guess steering feel must really be subjective. I don't find the E63 steering light at all, especially compared to my old GS430...talk about lackluster steering feel.

 

The C63 is definitely a fun car to drive. But I'd be interested in your take on the '09 SL63. During my test drive I was especially impressed with the new transmission

 

The SL63 was the best car I've driven that day in terms of performance... heck, in terms of everything.

I drove the E63, C63 and SL63 that day.

 

the e63 steering is not the best i have had in a performance car, like the m3 and m5 they both feel better. but still it's far better than most cars i ahve driven, including lexus of course, hahhaa.......

and yes, the e55 has a lot more tq than the e63. after driving the e63, my complain is also the "lack" of tq

 

Well, the E55 i drove had 60k miles on it. maybe that made it feel more loose than stock. I still think that a 90Grand car should be close to stock even with so many miles. its an 05 so its not more than 3-4 years old.
you can drive an 5 yeal old M5 and feel like its new in handling Im guessing. (never driven one).

I think there is only so much you can do for better handling by fixing suspension. the main thing is chasis, weight distribution, toal weight, roll center, blah.... as heavy as the E55 is i dont expect it to handle like a GT-R, but it should feel tighter steering.
maybe the E63 handles much better so we cant really compare the two.

 

That is one of the differences between the E55 and E63, the suspension on the new version is better.

If I want a luxury car that handles well, stick with BMW. I love driving my wife's 335i around corners, it just sticks to the pavement and the steering is nearly telepathic

 

I drove a 2007 M5 once, and like you, I felt that it didn't feel like 500HP (yes, it was in sport mode, all 500 ponies) Plus, it shifted very slowly. Solid car, just wasn't too impressed.

 

E63 has less torque then the E55? how could that be? what are the numbers?